Morheka the Great
While Kaaranese mythology is as rich and varied as any culture's, there is a special emphasis on mythological characters. Most states have their own patrons - famous or infamous rulers from history whose reputations have entered into local legends. But none have reach the fame achieved by Morheka I, Morheka the Great, Morheka of the Many Names, and Morheka the Kind. There are no less than forty seven distinct sagas that form the "Morhekan Canon", of varying stages of believability. Some, such as the Morhekan Ascension, are historical fact with some embellishment. Others, like The Golden Path, are less believable - there is no evidence, for example, that Morheka managed to cross over to the spirit realm and steal the armour, spear and helmet of any pre-Covenant deities. Add to these the myriad of retellings and original stories that spring up across the continent, and it becomes a confusing task telling apart the truth from the fiction. History Birth Despite being a native of the pre-Morheka northwest, there are no verifiable accounts of exactly where Morheka was born. Many villages claim to be the true birthplace, and point to still-standing ruins as proof. While some of these are genuine attempts to find a historical basis for such a legendary figure, most are easily dispelled - a number have been deliberately falsified as an attempt to drum up tourism, and pilgrims passing through have become a target for scam artists selling maps and guides to the region. All that can be said for sure was that he was born somewhere to the north-east of pre-Morheka to the Heka clan, and soon after his birth the Heka and Morteca clans merged. Some legends claim that he was the last child born from a union of parents from the Heka and Morteca clans before their merger, and took his name from that. The timeline of events makes it unlikely that he was born so long ago, though other legends relate that he merely took it as a standard clan name, and that its use as a first name has disappeared because of his fame. Career Whatever the case, tales of his early life range from the historically possible to the metaphorical. It is unlikely, for example, that he chopped down a Tumtum tree and told his father, because he couldn't tell a lie - for one thing, the Tumtum tree's bark is as tough as some strong metal alloys, ignoring the fact that it only grows to the far south of Morheka, and for another, the older Morheka seems to have had no qualms about lying and cheating his way out of trouble. More probable is the tale that he enlisted in the military at an early age, and that his lover followed him, pretending to be a male and fighting alongside him - the precedent for such a tale is long and well documented, and is matched by real life parallels. Today, the Voltakran Legion often uses this legend as an illustration of just what females can do once males have been ground into the dirt beneath their hells. Given his later marriage to Fera 'Narteca, exactly what became of any supposed lover so early in his life is unknown. Yet another legend claims that he was a bandit, living on the outskirts of society, before being captured and forced into the military in one of the many penal legions that existed - also certainly possible, given the romanticism attributed to bandits of the era. Some try to link this tale with that of the Beggar, claiming that his restoration was orchestrated by Morheka himself, but there is no evidence for such a claim. The Beggars Covenant Either way, Morheka's tour of duty in the military has been much commented upon, and legends of his exploits are numerous. Most Morhekan regions have their own tales, claiming that he was there during some battle or other. In any case, his rise was rapid, and by 40 C.E. he was among the great generals of the nation, and a permanent non-voting military member of the Council. When Mopada invaded, toppling the previous ruler and instating their own puppet ruler, Elma 'Mopad, Morheka only narrowly avoided the ensuing purge of the military hierarchy by willingly accepting a number of demotions, until eventually he was merely the city's Commander of the Watch. When the Beggar returned to claim his fathers throne and rule the rest of his family's cycle, Morheka unintentionally aided him by accepting him into his home - in the Keep, where the Beggar signalled his army of mercenaries and bandits to attack. In the aftermath, Morheka again survived a purge, this time of Mopadan loyalists, and would become the chief advisor of the Beggar Emperor. Upon his death, Morheka, as the head of his clan and next in the cycle, became the new Emperor of Morheka. It is during this period that we find the most verifiable texts concerning Morheka as a real living figure - historical documents salvaged from the Quenyathar Libraries show that they annually sent a tax of grain to "the General who is Ruler," while artefacts excavated from the Tujran dig site have yeilded small stone relics enscribed with the names of important leaders - the belief being that if you enscribed someone's name on a piece of stone, and then buried that stone, the person would be safe forever. The name "Morte-hek" is among them, perhaps an early rendition of Morheka. Morheka's rule of the nation is remembered as a golden age, where surrounding clans willingly joined, and military conquest was unneccessary. It is also remembered for the brutal reprisals against the Mopadan Occupation, which have been decried in Mopada as an unprovoked attack using the past as justification, but is remembered in Morheka as an act of patriotism and heroism. By 315 AD, the region was once again a militarily and economically powerful sovereign state, and had ejected all opposition from its borders, simultaneously making peace with its neighbours to ensure short-term security. Disappearance The only fact that can be definitively stated about the end of Morheka's reign is that it was a relatively peaceful one. There are differing accounts whether Morheka left of his own accord or simply disappeared, but the ascension of his son, Morheka II, was quick and uncontested. It is doubtful that Morheka intended to make the Emperor-ship a hereditary position, but his massive popularity in his lifetime and the reputation that Morheka II had already gained were formidable. Though Morheka II's reign would be as peaceful as his father's, later descendants would prove corrupt or insane. Exactly where Morheka went is also unknown. Some claim that he retired to the north, dwelling for a time at Quenyathar, before moving on again. Others claim that he went east on a religious pilgrimage, while Mopadans hold that he travelled south, exploring the continent and eventually straying into the Nartecan wastelands. Again, why Morheka chose to journey across Kaaran is also unknown. The Mopadans hold that he wished to atone for his sins against their nation, an interpretation that most serious historians reject out of hand. Others propose that he felt confined by rule of a single nation, and journeyed forth in an attempt to learn about the other nations that inhabited the continent. Even this theory has its own interpretations - southern Kaaranese stories relate that this was in advance of an invasion by the north, while the north insists that he was on a pilgrimage of peace. The eastern legends tend to agree with those of the north, and it is in the east that we find such tales as "The Relic of Sudarka" and "Agarka's Curse," stories of Morheka stumbling upon relics of great power while seeking a place to venerate the gods. Quenyathar's inhabitants believe that Morheka passed through the valley on his travels, but did not stay long - the fact documentation for this is found amongst administrative papers lends some credence to the story, though some insist they're forgeries. The Narteca, traditionally opposed to anything even remotely related to the nation of Morheka, hold that Morheka the Great passed through their borders, and was captured - over the years of his captivity, he was accepted as one of their own, and even took an important tribal chieftainess as his wife, something that historical documentation actually supports. He is remembered fondly in Narteca, though the nation that bears his name has not had such luck. All that can be said for sure that Morheka left his nation, and was never recorded there again. Exactly how far he got, what he did, and where he now rests(if he did die, as some legends deny) are all subject ot debate. Death The only thing that can be said for certain about the last days of Morheka's life is that they were spent outside of his homeland - after his self-imposed exile, he never returned to his place of birth. It is likely that his actual death occurred somewhere in central Kaaran, though naturally most nations have their own variants. Most accounts hold that his wife, Fera 'Narteca, was with him at the end, and interred his remains in The Hushed Casket. Others are more metaphorical in nature - one account from south-eastern Kotarq holds that he was accepted into the Halls of Detrasa while still alive to lead the vanguard of the Halls of the Honoured during the Great Journey, and that he prepares for that day. Others claim that he achieved a form of enlightenment, achieving a level of near-godhood - since Ketesh's incorporation into the Covenant, this belief has largely been stamped out by the Prophets as heresy. Still other accounts claim that he set sail into the Straits of Wrath, hoping to journey to Keltash to rest in the land of his ancestors, but drowned in the attempt - a hurricane occurring in 488 C.E. seems to match the timeframe, certainly. Equipment There are virtually thousands of relics claimed to have been used by Morheka the Great during his continental travels - javelins, broadswords, bows, maces, axes, shields, and various assorted pieces of armour. There are, however, four pieces of equipment that feature prominently in the Morhekan Sagas, and have acquired their own legends that surround them. Each item is held to have been a gift from a different prominent figure from the pantheon of Kaaranese ancestor-spirits, given as a reward for doing the bidding of the Afterlife. Blade of Torgu Though known as Torgu-Atami, or the Spear of Torgu, the item is described more accurately as a glaive, consisting of a thin and manoeuvrable wooden pole with a blade affixed at one end. According to legend, the pole was crafted from wood gathered from the forests that grow along the banks of the Tarandara River in eastern Kaaran, imbued with unnatural durability, while the blade itself is a sliver of a Forerunner relic. Later accounts, taking into account the Covenant energy sword, describe it as glowing blue, and allow it to pierce any armour, though no pre-Covenant texts support this. Helm of R'runu Many cultures relate helmets that bestow magical powers upon their wearers, and the Kaaranese are no exception. The Helm of R'runu, R'runu-Asaga, may have been an original element of Voltakran mythology that was modified and adopted to the Morhekan sagas. Mythology holds that it imbues the wearer with the power of invisibility, and that no warrior can kill someone wearing it. Earlier legends tell of it being a gift to the gods of various warriors, though modern renditions of the myth hold that Morheka was the recipient. Oddly enough Shield of Qui'vra Spear of Kr'Rana Regional Legends As perhaps the most famous, or infamous, historical figure in Kaaran's past, Morheka is the central character of hundreds of legends told across the continent. Most are retellings or appropriations of earlier myths, borrowed from other regions or modified from older tales inserting Morheka in them, and as of the moment historians have pinpointed around thirty two unique tales. The tales from the north and north-east are less aggressive, relating a religious pilgrim on a quest. The tales from southern Kaaran are less flattering, depicting a nomadic bandit/mercenary. The truth may be a small amount of both versions. North *The Pilgrims Inn *Quenyathar *The Sprite of Gentra *The Castle of It'zaq *The Ruined City South *The Flames of Salamandra *The Guest of Narteca *The Fortress of Dushqun *The Great Journey *The Blade of Torgu *The Helm of R'runu *The Spear of Kr'Rana *The Shield of Qui'vra East *The Relic of Sudarka *The Travellers Tale *The Destructor *The Curse of Agarka *The Riddle of Keltash *The Ocean Rider Death Category:Sangheili